Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

This always happens. I don’t know why I wait so long to pick up books that I have been anticipating once I have them in possession. So much so that I am planning a future post with a list of 2016 books I have purchased/acquired and have yet to read. More on that later.

Magic Binds was such an amazing read. I loved being immersed in this world and the characters once again. The Kate Daniels series is in my top 4 all time favorite series. It is one of my favorite genres too, urban fantasy.

Kate was a blast. She is such a refreshing character. She was raised to look out for herself and do what needs to be done to keep herself out of trouble, yet she has learned to fight that natural inclination and work to be a good friend to those close to her. When things start to get tough she hears that inner voice of Voron, her adoptive father, telling her to kill who needs to be killed and cut loose like a thief in the night. Despite that, she struggles constantly to trust and protect her friends and “family”.Good thing because now that she has claimed Atlanta, her dad has plopped down right outside of her claimed limits and is harassing her and she needs all the help she can get.

The characters are ALL so lovable. Kate, most notably is a favorite. She is sarcastically funny, has a great dry humor, loyal to a fault, and so humanly imperfect. In Magic Binds we really are her struggling to not succumb to her mind’s desire and urging for her to use her magic to make others her slaves. She has doubts, gets scared, moments of not knowing how to solve a problem, happiness, and family problems. She is so god den realistic and I can relate to her so much.

There is also of course her fiancé, Curran Lennart who is freaking awesome. Truly, they have a perfect dynamic and belong together. They keep each other grounded. Julie is great, Derrick, Raphael, Saiman, Andrea (and her baby!) and Jim and all make an appearance too.

The world building and story development was on pointe. New problems have arisen, like the fact that Kate’s been told by a witch who can see the future that despite all of Kate’s efforts, her father Roland will either kill Curran once they get married or her unconceived son. Add to the mix that Jim, the Beast Lord, is being is obsessive paranoid self, Julie has been talking to Roland in secret and Kate has yet to make any my plans for her upcoming wedding. No dress, no cake, no guest list. Granted, that is the least of her problems.

All I can say is that book somehow managed to one up the previous books in the series. I don’t know how Ilona Andrews manages to make each new one better than the last. She is a skilled writer, without a doubt.

Come on guys! Join the bandwagon and read this series! You won’t regret it!